1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electronic photo processor in which a paper supplying apparatus, a paper transferring apparatus, an optical apparatus, a developing apparatus, a fixing apparatus and a paper discharging apparatus are constructed independently and, more particularly, to an electronic photo processor which is constructed such that papers of a required size can be freely selected and at the same time the length of the processor can be reduced by providing a paper supplying apparatus on a top cover, in which a plurality of multi-cassettes can be stepwise loaded as being inclined downwards from the side to the lower side, such that it eliminates paper jamming in either the paper transferring apparatus, the developing means or the fixing apparatus, because the top cover and the fixing apparatus can be opened and closed separately, and such that the discharge and the stacking of the papers can be effected satisfactorily by adjusting the angle and the length of a tray unit of the paper discharging apparatus, as required.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electronic photo processors of the prior art which utilize electronic photo technology are known in many forms. In general, the means for supplying the papers in the prior art processors has a structure in which either one or two cassette-type paper supplying apparatus or a manual-type paper supplying unit protrudes horizontally at one side of the main body of the processors. These processors have problems in that the free selection of a variety of sized papers is not possible and a large installation area is required because the length of the main body of the processor is increased by the length of the protrusion. Further, the papers supplied by the prior art paper supplying apparatus described above are normally transferred utilizing several rollers in order to move the paper through the developing means and the fixing apparatus. When such a means becomes jammed, which occurs frequently at each apparatus of the processor, it is difficult to remove the jam because the top cover of the processor, containing both the developing means and the fixing apparatus, must be lifted so that the paper can be removed, after which strong pressure must be used to lower the cover to the lower main body. Furthermore, it is not possible to eliminate the wear of the parts due to the shock which occurs in lowering the top cover. At the same time, the printing quality becomes poor because the precision of the laser-beam scanner of the optical apparatus and the developing apparatus are repeatedly jarred.
The paper discharging tray unit provided at one side of the paper discharging apparatus is, in general, installed with a certain fixed angle and an axially limited length. When mass printing papers, there occur nuisances in that the printed papers are not discharged and stacked satisfactorily because the tray unit cannot be adjusted in accordance with either the size or the quantity of paper. Furthermore, a structural problem exists whenever papers jam between the fixing apparatus and the paper discharging apparatus inside of the processor. Because the tray unit is generally fixed at the processor to be inclined upwards, the tray unit must be separated from the processor in order to remove the jammed papers. Another problem exists whenever transporting the processor in that the tray unit must be separated from the main body of the processor in order to prevent loss and destruction of the tray unit. Still another problem is that a larger space is required by the processor, because the length of the tray unit projects laterally at the time of installation.